Teen sailor Laura Dekker safely crosses Indian Ocean

Pete Thomas Outdoors ^ | November 14, 2011 | Pete Thomas

[Oztrich Boy]

Dutch sailor Laura Dekker, 16, has successfully crossed the Indian Ocean and has made port in Durban, South Africa, her agent announced Monday.

Dekker, whose is on a controversial quest to become the youngest person to sail around the world, had kept her Indian Ocean route a secret because of concerns about piracy. She has been sailing aboard a 38-foot sailboat named Guppy.

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[Oztrich Boy]

Heading for the Red Sea and she ends up in South Africa? Not much of a sense of direction.

OK Seriously, doing the 6000 miles long jump across the Indian in 47 days, she's been looking an impressive sailor.

Her blog http://www.lauradekker.nl/English/News.html

I Cleared Customs without problems, but the Customs' official almost fainted when I told him that I had sailed non-stop and single-handed from Darwin. He would not believe me so I show him my website, after which muttering to himself, he rubber stamped my boat's papers

A lot of people will be doing that

Now, all she has to do is wave to Van Der Decken as she passes him rounding the Cape, up the Atlantic to Gibraltar - How hard can it be?

[Artcore]

You know, I hate to be a wet blanket, but what is so praise worthy about kids putting their lives, and the lives of others at risk?

[cricket]

How hard can it be?

LOL. . .being a 'risk averse' idividual; am confounded by this story; and thought the plug was pulled last yeaar on this. That her parents did not at least say; 'wait until your twenty-one'. . .or better; at least 'forty-one' - older - (yeah, yeah; no 'record breaking in tha);

...or most thoughtful; in light of 'piracy'/terrorism; not at all.

[EagleUSA]

Good job. Truly a great experience for a young person, and a good lesson for an aspiring sailor. Most adults would not have the courage or wherewith all to accomplish this.

[Dagnabitt]

I think this is OK. She has a lot of sailing experience for someone her age and is quite mature. Of course this would scare me to death if it were my child. Espcially since it would be on a windsurfer since I cannot affort a 38 foot yacht.

[Oztrich Boy]

It’s not only safer than playing American Football, it actually teaches self-reliance

[Waywardson]

Huge Fan. Been following since the nanny staters shut her down a few years back. Go girl !

[Jack Hammer]

Absolutely astounding, no matter how you slice it.

[21twelve]

I thought I was something for going backpacking by myself for 3 weeks just before I turned 16!

I have a book around here somewhere that I have held onto all these years and it perhaps helped with my folks. It was a bunch of photos with just a few words, written by two young guys. One of the quotes was something like:

Alone and young.
But alone and young in the Wilderness.
That makes all the difference.

(And yes, I was darn lucky! Looking back I can’t imagine what my folks were thinking!)

[Jack Hammer]

Gutsy! The closest I ever came to anything like that at the age of sixteen was spending three hours with the girl next door in the back seat of a parked GTO.

[21twelve]

All adventures can have consequences if you aren’t careful!

From the gal’s website:

“At thirteen, she considers herself ready for her first major solo voyage, and aboard Guppy she left the harbour of Maurik and set her course for England, returning more than a week later. “Such a long time at sea by herself, with wind, rain and waves, she will be cured”, her father hopes secretly.

“No, I have an appetite for more” Laura tells anybody who will listen.”

[Waywardson]

BTTT! People need to see this.